


The Arrangement

by JayceCarter



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, Banter, F/M, Insults, Marriage of Convenience, Rough Oral Sex, Shameless Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-03-22 21:18:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13772754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JayceCarter/pseuds/JayceCarter
Summary: Arthur needs an appropriate wife, and the best option is an arrangement with the vault-dweller he has never met. They draw up an agreement for a marriage of convenience, one that will give him the proper, healthy, fertile wife he needs and her the peaceful alliance between the two factions. The day before they meet for the first time, he decides to go for one last night of fun in Goodneighbor. What he finds is a vulgar woman who is none of the things he needs in a wife, but all the things he wants in a one-night-stand.He never expects to see her again, but life doesn't always go the way we want it to. . .





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This will only be like 2 or 3 chapters. :)
> 
> ETA: This story is canon divergent. In it, THe minutemen and railroad took out the Institute without the Brotherhood's help. However, none of the factions have directly attacked the others at this point, so the Prydwen was never destroyed and they are all in a sort of tense standstill.

 

Arthur Maxson had a wife.

 

The words were true yet no less strange to him. He hadn't said them out loud, not after filing the paperwork, not after making it official.

 

 _Nora Jacobs_ That was all he knew of his wife, her name.

 

Well, Nora Maxson, now. She'd taken his last name, a concession she hadn't wanted to give, but one the Brotherhood made non-negotiable. His wife would carry his name as would his children. That was the main reason behind this arrangement.

 

Arthur was only twenty, but as the last Maxson, if something happened to him tomorrow, there would be no more to carry on his name. The Maxson's had founded the Brotherhood, had turned it into what it was. It needed them, needed the continuity, the show of strength from having them there.

 

Thus, his appointment as High Elder had been contingent on locating and wedding an acceptable woman.

 

Despite having never met this Nora, the facts checked out well in her favor. Her physical by Cade, performed in Diamond City, had shown her to have exceptional genes with almost no sign of serious radiation damage. According to her medical record, she'd been frozen in a vault. That made her pre-war and healthier than any other person in the Brotherhood.

 

Add to that her high standing with the Minutemen. Her exact position was unclear. Some claimed she was the General, others claimed she had been the General, and still others said the title was for show only, that Preston Garvey actually lead the group. Whatever the truth, she was important enough that having her as part of the Brotherhood bought them a strong alliance between the two factions, something they needed now more than ever.

 

The enemy of my enemy is my friend was a lesson Arthur had learned well. The problem was that when that big enemy was gone, all those friends went back to hating each other. With the Institute turned to rubble, the Minutemen and Brotherhood had started snarling at each other.

 

After one large and successful war, Arthur would rather not leap into another just yet.

 

What he was getting out of the agreement was obvious. A wife. What she was getting out of it was less obvious to him. The negotiations had focused on peace between the factions, leading him to guess she knew a fight between the Brotherhood and the Minutemen would cause her side more casualties than they could afford. The Brotherhood would lose many as well, but they had the training, the gear, and the numbers to outlast.

 

Somehow, marrying a woman who did so under duress didn't sit well, but he'd been assured by Cade the woman did not appear forced or coerced. Everyone did things that weren't what they wanted, but what they needed. She would adjust, just as he had to.

 

"Drinking alone?" A woman took the seat across from Arthur before he could answer.

 

"I'm not interested in purchasing your services. I have no problem with your profession, but don't waste your time trying to sell to me."

 

She laughed, her elbows leaning on the table. Dirt covered her forearms, streaked like she washed her hands often but had no ability to properly scrub the dirt off. "If that's how you talk to women, it's not a shock you're here alone."

 

"You aren't a prostitute?"

 

“Imply I'm a hooker again and you won't need to worry about it. You won't have anything left to give them anyway."

 

"Charming."

 

She offered a smirk. Not a smile, no, something taunting and just this side of vicious. "Not really, but that's okay. What brings you to our little corner of the Commonwealth?"

 

"How do you know I’m not a regular?"

 

She waved her fingers toward the Mr. Handy bartender, who brought her a beer quickly enough it was clear she spent a lot of time there. "I could say it's because I know all the regulars, which I do, but I'd have pegged you for an outsider no matter what."

 

"Too clean?" He lifted his eyebrow at the filth on the woman's leather jacket.

 

"Too prissy. That shirt? Ironed like that? The perfectly groomed beard? The way you talk? Yeah, you're a long fucking way from home out here. Still, I know the mayor and he appreciates when I don't let lost little sheep like yourself get eaten alive on their first night in town. Cuts down on tourism when they do."

 

"And that makes you the welcome to the town party?"

 

She shrugged, leaning back in her chair and slinging an arm over the back of it. "Something like that. So, you going to tell me what brought you here?"

 

"You first."

 

She took a slow drink of her beer, not breaking eye contact. "Got a big day tomorrow. I wanted to take my mind off it, drink away my sorrows. The thing is, if anyone knows how well life screws you, it's me. Turned out it wasn't a great night to forget shit, so instead, I'm here talking to you."

 

Arthur tapped his fingers on the tabletop while he stared at her as if he could figure her out that way alone. "I am getting married tomorrow. Or, more accurately, I was married today, but I meet my wife tomorrow."

 

"Marrying someone blind? I was always told to try out the goods before you buy them."

 

"Good advice when dealing with weaponry and armor. I had the required check-ups done to ensure she is capable of providing what I need."

 

"And what is it you think you need?"

 

"Heirs, mostly. I've been assured her health is excellent and she is fertile. The rest is not important."

 

The woman let out an unladylike snort, drawing a cringe from Arthur. "She your wife or your pet?"

 

"Wife. I can assure you, I don't pay so high a price for pets. I didn't catch your name."

 

"Because I didn't give it. Ell."

 

A common name. It didn't shock him. She looked like the sort of woman who would have a name like that. Ell. Kay. Something short and low class. In fact, he wouldn't doubt if it was just Ell. No last name like a lot of people out there. Last names were a holdover from the old world, back when people had lineages. Now many never knew their parents at all.

 

"My name is Arthur."

 

Ell nodded, no recognition on her face. Not that he expected that, not in a place like this. Nearer to a Brotherhood outpost, maybe his face and his first name would be enough, but in a slum like this? No, they wouldn't recognize him.

 

"Well, Arthur, why don't we take a bottle of something good from Hancock's special stash and I'll give you a tour of the town most people don't get."

 

"If there is anything of this town hidden, I'm quite sure it's something I don't want to see, not based on what is right out in the open." He ensured his face held all the disgust it could while he stared at her. “None of this my sort of thing.”

 

Ell stood and leaned forward so her forearms pressed against the table and he had a clear shot down the front of her shirt. "Scared?"

 

Well, the woman knew how to manipulate him.

 

#

 

Arthur stood beside Ell as she aimed her sniper rifle at the bottles across the way, on the freeway outside of the city gates. "You'll never-"

 

"-quiet, now. Mom's busy."

 

"You are not my mother."

 

"You're sure quick to deny it. Did the name bother you, or is it the fact it doesn't bother you that's got your panties all twisted?"

 

He huffed an annoyed breath as she squeezed off one shot, shattering the first bottle. "No. I may be surrounded by perversion here, but that doesn't mean I'm a pervert. My mother was too sweet a woman to be anything like you."

 

The gun recoiled as she fired again, striking the next bottle. "Sweet, huh? That what expecting from this bride of yours? Some sweet girl who will do everything you say?" One more bullet, one more downed bottle, and she passed the rifle to him.

 

Arthur dropped to one knee and took aim. "Yes, actually."

 

"Oh, tell me all about this woman. She sounds terrible."

 

"My understanding is that she was a pre-war housewife. It was one reason I felt her a good match. I'm not sure I could tolerate a raider, or a scavenger, or some wasteland filth."

 

"Like me?"

 

He squeezed the trigger, hitting the first bottle. A petty thrill went through him to not be one-upped. He'd never been much of a sniper, but that didn't mean he couldn't when needed. They might both have drunk more than a fair share of alcohol, but the bottles weren't that far away. "Yes, you are exactly the sort of person I am actively avoiding. The woman I married, she has the qualities a proper wife for me needs. She can not only give me strong heirs but can fill the responsibilities of-" he cut himself off before he said his name. "-Of my name."

 

"Well, she sounds fucking boring."

 

Arthur landed the second shot as well, leaving only one left. "She seems like a perfect match for me."

 

"Be careful with 'seems.' Gotta say, kid, shit that seems perfect rarely is."

 

Arthur pulled the trigger for the last bottle, but no shatter of glass came back.

 

He'd missed.

 

A chuckle from behind him had him releasing a breath and trying again, succeeding this time.

 

He set the rifle down and turned to face Ell, who laughed. "Three shots out of four isn't bad."

 

"Not as good as three of three, though. You out of practice or something? Your perfect little bride won't be too happy if you can't even aim." Ell dropped her gaze to his crotch. "Being able to handle the equipment is pretty fucking important."

 

"She'll be happy enough. I doubt she'll have the experience you do to draw from."

 

"Counting on inexperience to make you look better? Poor woman."

 

He took a step toward her, but she didn't back down. "I don't need any advice from you. She won't behave like this."

 

"Like what?" Ell reached between them and cupped Arthur's groin. No chance she couldn't feel how hard he was already. The only saving grace was that his hips didn't thrust into her hand.

 

"Vulgar. Shady. _Easy_."

 

"So why are you here, on this roof, hard in my palm? If you're meeting little miss perfect tomorrow, what are you looking for here?" She leaned in closer, hand tightening to stroke him through his pants.

 

"It's my last night of freedom. I am enjoying it."

 

"I understand wanting freedom better than you might think. Fuck, freedom is something that can be snatched away so damned fast." She flicked the button of his pants and slid her hand into them. Her palm wrapped around his cock.

 

The chill of her skin had him hissing in a breath.

 

Ell laughed, hand tightening to stroke him. "Tell me more about this perfect woman."

 

Arthur refused to let her hear another sound from him, refuse to let her win again. She'd already shown him up in marksmanship, and he didn't care for being bested by someone like her. The fact he was attracted to her only furthered his want to win somehow, to hurt her.

 

“Are you a masochist or something? Desperate to hear about the woman you’ll never be?”

 

“Yeah, I am.”

 

Arthur reached up and grasped her ponytail, using it to tilt her head back, forcing her to look him in the eye. "She will be quiet, kind, respectful. She will not whore around with men she barely knows. Does it really take so little to get you to spread your thighs?"

 

She slid her thumb over the head of his cock. "I don't know, Arthur, but it sure didn't take much to get you to spread yours."

 

Arthur leaned in as if to kiss her. When her eyes slid closed to return the kiss, he used his grip on her hair to knock her to her knees.

 

Ell didn't fight it, grasping the waist of his pants and yanking them down enough to free his cock. "You think your perfect fucking fantasy of a wife would ever let you do this? Would she suck your cock out in the open like this? Let you push her around-"

 

He silenced her by pushing his cock against her lips and then into her mouth. "No, she wouldn't, which is exactly why I am married to her and not you."

 

Ell winked, then used her tongue on the vein that ran down the bottom of his cock. The woman used the tip of her tongue, pulling back far enough to lick the slit at the top of his cock.

 

Her hands went to his thighs, nails digging in when she hollowed her cheeks and twisted to use her cheek against the head of his cock.

 

His hips shifted forward, a gentle rocking he couldn't stop.

 

Ell swirled her tongue around him once more before taking him deeper into her mouth.

 

Arthur groaned at the warmth, at the way she looked. Not submissive, no, not this woman. Even on her knees, even with his hand in her hair, even with his cock inching into her throat, she was sparking fire.

 

And why the hell did he like that?

 

No, he didn't like it. It was a fling. It was a crazy moment before he met the wife he was supposed to have and settled down. That's why she worked, because she was nothing like his wife would be. It made this safe, one last moment of freedom.

 

Ell took him deeper, throat constricting as he pushed further, as he set a brutal pace. He didn't take her the way he'd need to with his wife, not like a loving couple, not with respect. This was just passion, just pleasure, just his cock and her throat. He fucked her with long, deep motions, ignoring the gagging, the way tears released from the corners of her eyes and ran down her cheeks.

 

Not from pain or fear, no. She still had that smirk, somehow. Even with her lips stretched tight around his cock, she smirked.

 

And that smirk was enough. He spilled into her throat, pulling back to ensure some went on her tongue.

 

He wanted her to taste him, to have to swallow or spit him out, but he damned well didn't want her passive.

 

She swallowed, dragging her tongue once more against his softening cock before pulling back.

 

Arthur tucked himself into his pants, then buttoned them as she stood.

 

"Well, thanks for the fun."

 

"What?" Arthur caught her arm. "I'm not done, yet. I don't leave things half done, and I'm not one to owe favors to anyone." He hooked his fingers into the waist of her pants.

 

He wasn't lying. He didn't want it to be over. Sure, the blowjob had taken the edge off, made him relaxed, but he wasn't ready to say goodnight, to say goodbye. He needed to get her naked, to taste her, to break apart that shell of self-control she had. She'd beat him with guns, she'd driven him crazy with her mouth, and he needed to do the same to her.

 

It was damned well a matter of pride.

 

Ell laughed and shoved his chest. "Not a chance."

 

"You'll blow me, but you don't want me to return the favor?"

 

"That's right. Believe it or not, I have standards and you? You are so far below them, kid. Good luck tomorrow, you're going to need it."

 

Arthur stood there, dumbfounded, as Ell slung the rifle over her shoulder and left him alone on the roof.

 

#

 

"You're sure she's coming?"

 

Cade nodded, hands clasped behind his back. "Yes, Elder. The pilot has already radioed in. They'll be here shortly."

 

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves and his headache. As it turned out, he'd drank more thank his limit the night before. Add to that his lack of sleep, and waking up had been hell.

 

Still, sleep had eluded him. He'd thought about Ell. In fact, hours after she'd left him, he'd wrapped a hand around his cock and pretended it was her. Something about her he couldn't shake.

 

She was filthy. She drank too much, cursed too much, clearly fought too much. She was nothing he wanted, and yet it had been her who kept him up, her who had played in his mind while he'd spilled into his own hand.

 

The vertibird came into sight on the horizon.

 

"I have spoken to Kells, and we altered the work schedules to give you a week off with your new wife. No, please Elder, don't argue. Even arranged marriages require time to get to know each other. It would be best for you both to take the week. We will work out contact and security wherever you'd like to go. Trust me, a happy wife is important."

 

Arthur didn't care for the idea of leaving the Prydwen for a week, of leaving his work to others, but Cade was right.  He did owe his new wife. . . something.

 

The vertibird hooked into the Prydwen, and Arthur caught sight of her. Just a quick glance from behind Paladin Danse, only the flash of a blue vault suit, of dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. Short, slim, he could tell nothing else.

 

Danse stepped out first, then turned and held a hand out for Nora.

 

Arthur set his hands behind him and pulled his shoulders back. Perhaps it was vain, but he wanted to look strong, capable. He wanted a good first impression.

 

Danse walked up, Nora behind him. When he reached Arthur, he shifted to give Arthur his first look at her. "Elder. This is Nora Jacobs."

 

"I mostly use Nora, but my full name is Eleanor," she corrected, lips pulling into a far too familiar smirk. "Though sometimes I go by Ell."

 

The foul-mouthed woman from the night before was his wife.


	2. Chapter 2

 

Arthur looked different on the Prydwen than he had in the bar. In the Third Rail, he’d stuck out. The straight back, the clean clothing, the disgust, it had pegged him as an outsider right away. Nora had taken one look at him and known he didn’t belong.

 

Still, in the Third Rail, he’d been one part of a broken system, just a cog.

 

He was the head of the machine on the Prydwen. He was the heart of the brotherhood, and by the arrogant set of his shoulders, he damned well knew it.

 

Not that it shocked Nora. No man who behaved as he had over her time in the Commonwealth showed a man used to getting what he wanted, used to people kissing the ground he walked on.

 

Beyond what he looked like and the rumors spread by settlers and traders, she knew little about Arthur. Deacon had offered to scout, to bring back information, but she’d turned him down.

 

What did it matter?

 

This decision was for the betterment of the Minutemen, for the safety of her settlements and her friends. It wouldn't have mattered if Arthur was an abusive prick. She'd have made the same choice. Hell, the worse he was, the happier she would be. She didn't want a partner, didn't want someone she could fall for. The asshole in front of her was safe.

 

The only thing she'd learned that mattered about was that he didn't break agreements.

 

So long as he worked with the Minutemen to keep the peace, nothing else mattered.

 

"Nice to meet you," he said, jaw tight.

 

Ah, so they were playing this game? Guess the precious Elder Maxson didn't want people knowing he got his rocks off having his cock sucked by strangers in Goodneighbor like common trash.

 

Nora smiled the widest, fakest smile she could manage. "Nice to meet you, too."

 

Cade stuck his hand out. "Welcome aboard, Lady Maxson."

 

_Lady Maxson?_ She managed to hold in the eye roll. The doctor wasn’t a bad man. A bit strict, but hell, even he’d laughed at her jokes during the exam.

 

Nora shook the offered hand. "Good to see you again, Cade, especially without any needles or penis shaped ultrasound wands."

 

He released a soft laugh that almost covered Arthur's groan. _Almost._ "Believe it or not, I don't carry those around for general introductions."

 

"Maybe you should. Might score you a few more dates."

 

"Please, excuse us. My _wife_ is over-tired. I'd like to show to her quarters." Arthur wrapped a hand around Nora's arm and pulled her.

 

She offered a wave to Cade and Danse as Arthur all but drug her up a short set of stairs, past guards in power armor, and through two sets of doors.

 

"You lied to me." He slammed the door shut, closing them into a room together.

 

"No, I didn't. I just didn't bother to tell you who I was. Not my fault you were thinking with your dick." Nora surveyed the room full of pastel pinks. Had an eight-year-old thrown up in there? Still, the bedding was nice, clean, better than anything she'd had since waking up. "Your style is different than I expected. Figured you for neutrals and big self-portraits, not lace and pink."

 

"This isn't my room."

 

"You go through all this for a wife and set her up in her own room?" Nora picked up a journal on a bookshelf, thumbing through the blank pages. “You know, you can’t knock me up from across the hall.”

 

"I thought I was getting a woman who required gentleness, slowness, an easing into the situation. I hardly expected that I'd be saddled with a wife who blew men she didn't know on rooftops."

 

"To be fair, I blew my husband on that roof, and I don't remember him complaining at all."

 

Arthur's knuckles cracked as he drew them into fists. "This is never going to work."

 

"Why not? You said yourself that what you needed was a woman who could give you heirs. I can do that, and according to your doctor, I can do it better than anyone else he's seen."

 

Arthur came forward, backing Nora against the wall. The way he crowded her excited her. A battle of wills was something she'd always loved. Since waking up, her life had been nothing but a battle. None stop, just one fight after another.

 

Fighting her own husband now? Seemed like poetry.

 

"You are not Maxson material."

 

"Why not? Because I don't talk all pretty? Because I don't bat my eyelashes and shut the fuck up? You said it yourself; this is about peace and kids, not about what either of us wants."

 

His jaw tightened, the muscles ticking. Oh, that was the face of a pissed off man. She'd loved to kiss him right then, to feel his anger, to feel him grab her and shove her against the wall, to take that anger out on her.

 

Rough sex, angry sex, she understood that. She reveled in that. It made her feel alive for just a moment. The bite of someone’s teeth in her skin, the way they clung to her, the rough edge as she went too hard. Yeah, she loved that.

 

Arthur's gaze dropped to her lips before he swallowed in a loud gulp.

 

Instead of acting on what she was sure they both wanted, he shook his head and pulled back. "You will remain in this room until I return."

 

"There is no way I'm going to stay here. Remember our talk? I'm your wife, not a pet."

 

Arthur paused by the door, his back to her. "Perhaps if you can be trained to behave properly, you can be allowed out in public. Until then, _stay_." He closed the door, and the click of a lock said he'd trapped her.

 

Poor man.

 

If he thought she couldn't pick a lock, he had no idea exactly who he'd married.

 

 

#

 

Arthur stared out over the water on the command deck.

 

Ell was his wife? No, not Ell, Nora, he corrected himself.

 

That foul-mouthed woman was his wife. All the fantasies he'd had in his head about a sweet woman drifted away. How could he have her stand at his side as she was?

 

She'd never stop embarrassing him. She'd never fit in. She was fine for him to relieve some tension with, to masturbate to in the dark hours of the night, but nothing more.

 

He deserved more, damn it.

 

"Elder?"

 

Arthur turned to face Cade.

 

The man was their doctor, but also Arthur's friend. Or, at least as much of a friend as he had. His life didn’t render itself to having friends. How close of a friend could he have when he was forced to ask them to risk their lives for the Brotherhood? Still, Cade, having been his doctor for most of his life, had turned into a trusted advisor if nothing else.

 

"Yes?"

 

"I’m surprised to see you here rather than spending time getting to know your new wife."

 

Arthur's gaze moved past Cade. No one else wandered around. "As it turns out, I have met her before. I hadn't realized it, didn’t know the name, but I know her."

 

"Really? How is it you know her?"

 

That information didn't need to be told. "It doesn't matter. Let me just say, she isn't what I expected in a wife."

 

Cade crossed his arms and leaned his hip against the railing. "How so?"

 

The truth rested on the tip of Arthur's tongue. He wanted to explain that he was supposed to have a wife like his mother had been. People spoke of his mother, of how she'd been strong but willing to follow his father’s lead. She had known her place, supported his father, had been willing to do anything for the Brotherhood.

 

Nora was none of those things. From what he'd seen, she was more likely to drag the Brotherhood down than help it.

 

But, Arthur didn't care to admit how he knew any of that. Instead, he stuck with an easy answer. "She has a poor reputation. She doesn't behave in the way the wife of a Maxson should. I can't imagine she made it through an exam without you seeing that. I doubt she could behave herself for more than ten minutes at a time."

 

"Ten minutes does seem like a little much for her."

 

"So, you knew she was like this?"

 

Cade shrugged, his gaze moving to peer out through the window. "I suspected she might not be the demure woman you'd planned for when she showed up with a black eye, reeking of whiskey. Apparently, she'd spent the night in jail after a bar fight."

 

"And you failed to mention that?"

 

"Why would I have? You said yourself that you cared about her fertility above everything else. In case you fail to remember, you did not ask me a single question about her personality. You didn’t ask me what she liked, about what we talked about, or anything personal. You asked me about her medical history and her fertility."

 

The subtle scolding had Arthur clenching his jaw. True or not, he didn't like the implication.

 

It was true, he hadn't cared, mostly because he'd assumed she'd be something specific. A pre-war housewife. Why would he ever think she'd be what she now seemed to be?

 

Arthur released a sigh. "What am I supposed to do now? _That_ is my wife. We are both stuck. The only way I can back out of the contract is if she proves to be infertile, in the case of abuse, or if one of us is unfaithful. So, since I can’t send her on the first Vertibird back to that filth-riddled settlement she came from, what am I supposed to do? "

 

"Now? My first suggestion would be to go get your wife."

 

"She's in her quarters. I locked her there so she stays out of trouble."

 

Cade shook his head and pushed off the railing. "She picked the lock hours ago."

 

Arthur’s back straightened. "She what? Where is she?"

 

"I believe she's playing poker with the recruits in the rec area."

 

Of course, she was. Why he was surprised, he had no idea. He couldn't have expected her to respect his wishes, to stay put and not cause him more trouble. He turned his back on the Commonwealth spread out in the window and stormed toward the ladder.

 

"Where are you going, Elder?"

 

"To have a very thorough conversation with my wife."

 

 

#

 

Nora laughed as Teagan gathered the caps from the center of the table. They were even, so far. He’d win a hand, then she would. The other recruits would come and go, but she and Teagan cleared them all out.

 

Finally, she’d found someone aboard who wasn’t a bore.

 

Hell, if she could hang out with the recruits and Teagan all the time, her life might not even be so bad. She could fuck Arthur when she had to and then return to people who had some fun.

 

“You can’t take her caps.” The newest recruit to join their game leaned toward Teagan.

 

“Why not?”

 

“That’s the Elder’s wife.”

 

Teagan lifted his eyebrow as he looked at Nora. “Really? I knew he’d drawn up some paperwork for a wife. I’d expected someone different.”

 

Nora huffed a soft laugh. “Yeah, so did Arthur, trust me.”

 

The two recruits still in the room and Teagan all lifted their gaze to behind her. Teagan grinned, but the younger men wilted.

 

“So, it’s either a rabid deathclaw behind me or a pissed off Elder.” Nora gathered the caps still in front of her, pushing them off the table and into the small pack. She turned to find Arthur glaring. “Ah, too bad. Maybe it’ll be the deathclaw next time.”

 

He stared down at her, eyes hard. “I thought you were going to stay in your quarters.”

 

“I was bored.”

 

He looked at Teagan. “Thank you for keeping an eye on my wife.”

 

Teagan laughed, leaning back in his chair, the picture of a man who didn’t give a shit. “Anytime, Elder, anytime. She isn’t any trouble.”

 

Arthur wrapped an arm around Nora’s waist, pulling her against his side as he led her from the room.

 

Nora allowed it. She’d finished with her fun,. A few beers, some laughter, hell she was ready for bed at that point.

 

He said nothing as they walked, taking the stairs up and then the ladder. He took her to her room and shut them inside. “I was perfectly clear that you were to stay here.”

 

Nora reached up and pulled the tie from her ponytail, letting her hair fall down. “Guess what, _husband._ You didn’t buy me. I don’t have to actually do what you say.”

 

“You’re my wife-“

 

“-which means we signed a contract that outlines my responsibilities. None of those points included you being able to lock me in a room. I will fulfill what I promised but don’t think for a moment you could ever buy me.”

 

He fumed as he stood there. Worse than earlier, as if he’d had the whole day not to calm down but to stew. So, he wasn’t used to people talking back to him?

 

He’d better get used to it.

 

Even Nate hadn’t been able to control her. Not that Nate had ever tried. No, Nate had enjoyed that spark of hers, had loved the way she lived life. She hadn’t been as wild back then, of course, but her jokes? Her filthy sense of humor? Nate had loved it all.

 

The image of Nate flashed in her head, the way he’d shake his head and smile at her antics.

 

Nothing like the man she’d married now.

 

Nora raked her fingers through her hair to push it back. “What are you doing here? I’ve had a long evening of drinking and fun, and now I’d like to go to sleep.” She turned her back on Arthur, wanting him to know how little his hissyfit meant to her. She cared as much about his anger as she did about the toy poodle that used to yap at her when she walked by its house.

 

Arthur, not one to be ignored she supposed, grabbed her arm and spun her back around. “You think you’re going to run things here? Guess what, Nora _,_ I’m in charge on this ship, not you. You will fall in line here just like everyone else does.”

 

“Think again _._ You might walk over everyone else, but you won’t keep me under you.”

 

He slid his hand into her now loose hair, tightening his hand into a fist until it tugged at her scalp. “I believe our contract includes you being under me quite a bit.”

 

The promise in his voice, the way it made her think of stripping him down and seeing exactly what he could do, it had her pulling in a shaky breath.

 

So, it wasn’t love, would never be love. Fuck love. She’d had her fill of love a long time ago. Still, if they were going to survive each other, maybe they needed to find a way to work out their aggression where neither ended up dead.

 

He pushed her backward until her ass hit the bookshelf. He pushed the items off the top, including the journal she’d found earlier, before lifting her to sit on the top of it. It brought their faces to level.

 

“So that’s what this is? Just fulfilling the contract?”

 

“It’s why I needed a wife, isn’t it? Or are you thinking about backing out, now?”

 

“I thought you said your wife might need time to get used to her situation.”

 

He leaned in and scraped his teeth over her pulse hard enough she’d wear red marks later. “And I doubt you need any acclimation. Screwing strangers is probably a go-to for you, isn’t it?”

 

She laughed at the accusation. If he wanted to think of her like a whore, let him. It had fuck-all to do with who she was, with what she’d done. Men got to screw their way through the wasteland, and no one batted an eyelash, but she had a few one-night-stands, and he thought he was better than her? “That’s right, and they didn’t even have to buy me off for me to sleep with them.”

 

He grasped the zipper at her throat, a dare in his eyes. “Tell me to stop, Nora. I’ll let you go, and we can both back out of this contract.”

 

So that was his game? Push her far enough, and he thought she’d tuck her tail between her legs and run off?

 

He was in for so much more than he’d bargained for. After everything Nora had done, all the shit she’d survived, what was a little angry sex to her? 

 

She grabbed his chin in a grip so tight, it dug her nails into his cheeks. “I’m not going anywhere. So, fuck you.” She pulled him in for a hard kiss, their teeth clinking against each other, a surprised groan leaving his lips. She broke the kiss after nipping his bottom lip hard. “And fuck me, already.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

 

Arthur's knees almost gave out from the bite of Nora's nails in his skin and the dare in her voice. He'd had frantic sex before, but never with this edge, and never with someone as difficult as he was.

 

They both panted, and he wouldn't doubt if they'd have bruises by the end of whatever this was.

 

But did it matter? She wasn't wrong. He needed heirs, and she was willing to spread her thighs and give them to him, so what else mattered? She would conceive, and he could ship her off to the Citadel for her safety and his sanity. After she'd birthed the child, he could return in order to try for another.

 

They'd never have to spend any time together, so her behavior? It didn't matter.

 

He pulled the zipper of her suit down to the bottom. At that point, he grasped the edges of it to tear the piece apart, happy to do away with the inappropriate suit. He didn't need his men looking at her wearing that thing.

 

"Don't you dare rip my suit." She knocked his hands away and pulled it off her arms.

 

He fought the urge to tear the suit just to spite her, just too do the opposite of what she said.

 

However, when the fabric moved down far enough to expose her breasts, his train of thought derailed. She moved off the bookshelf to shimmy the suit down her hips as he palmed her breasts in his hands. Not that large, but he supposed they'd do.

 

"Tomorrow, you will not embarrass me again."

 

"It's adorable that you think I'm going to listen. Not sure what I’ve done that has made you think I'm going to do shit you say, but whatever it was, I’m sorry."

 

He released her breast and grasped her hair again. He pulled her over and shoved her down on the table, bent forward. She stumbled because of the suit still around her thighs.

 

"Aren't you cute when you're angry? Then again, maybe it's just that you seem cuter because you couldn't really get any worse."

 

Arthur grunted, unwilling to try to spar with her. He hated that he couldn't get an upper hand with her. He was, at best, breaking even.

 

Arthur Maxson didn't break even.

 

He pressed a hand against her back, noting for the first time how the ridges of her spine pushed into his hand as he pinned her to the table.

 

His other hand reached down and slid up her cunt in a possessive gesture. Wetness clung to his fingers, telling him she was enjoying their little power struggle as much as he was. Good. They could live apart and hate one another and have angry sex whenever they needed to.

 

That was enough.

 

It was all he needed.

 

He slid two fingers into her, testing. He might be angry, he might hate her, but he'd never hurt a woman with sex. Not that he expected any resistance. Judging from what he'd seen, he doubted she needed much prep.

 

Nora put her hands on the table, her nails digging into the surface, her hips angling to push back against his fingers. She moaned and arched her back before freezing and going silent. A soft shake of her head before she spoke. "Get to it, would you? If you're going slow for my comfort-"

 

"-I'm not worried about your comfort."

 

"Then hurry up."

 

He undid the crotch of his jumpsuit, unwilling to undress. They weren’t lovers who needed to get naked and lost in each other. It helped him remember what this was.

 

He grasped his cock and pressed the head against her cunt. He ran it up her slit, from her clit to the top, before pushing against her.

 

The head of his cock nestled against her, pushing into the softness while her body resisted him. He groaned at the feeling, at that nook at the edge of a woman's cunt, the delicious expectation of being so close.

 

He released his cock and grasped her hips, rocking slowly, giving in to the desire to make it last just a bit.

 

"Hurry up."

 

"Why? That desperate for cock? I keep trying to explain to you that this all happens my way-"

 

She planted her hands flat on the table and pushed herself backward. It forced him into her in one hard thrust.

 

His hands cranked down on her hips at the sudden tightness, the way she wrapped around his cock. He had to take a deep breath to hold off because he was ready to come the moment she'd taken control like that, the moment he'd felt her cunt squeezing down around him.

 

A soft whine left her throat drawing him to pause. Had it hurt?

 

He wouldn't want to hurt her, not like that.

 

"Nora-"

 

She swallowed the sound, her back rising as she took a deep breath then sinking as she released it. "Get to it, would you? I want to get to bed."

 

The snark, the slap in the face at his stupid moment of kindness had his shoulders tightening.

 

"Very well." He grasped one of her legs and lifted it to the table to spread her wider, to let him get deeper. He pulled back and thrust back into her, an equally brutal thrust. "You're tighter than I would have expected. I figured for a woman like you, you'd be as loose as any common whore."

 

"Kegels," she said, voice shaky.

 

The word meant nothing to him. Probably nonsense. He gave up trying to throw barbs since she only returned them. Instead, he focused on taking out his annoyance on her body.

 

He fucked her with hard, sure thrusts. A lifetime of this? Hell, he could get used to that.

 

Arthur leaned forward, planting his hand on the table beside her lifted leg to use the weight and fuck into her harder. He wanted to take her, to take some part of her, to own her in some way that would force her to be what he needed. Or, save that, perhaps just punish her for not being what he'd wanted.

 

He came quickly, the drag of his cock inside her too much. He'd always had to use a condom in the past since bastards would not serve well for his position. This was the first time he was able to feel a woman without anything between them.

 

When he spilled inside her, he leaned forward, his forehead pressing against her back as he breathed hard.

 

Damn. Maybe he'd been all wrong about this. The girl might be all wrong for him in most ways, but damn if the sex wasn't good. Then again, it was probably the one thing she could do.

 

Arthur reached down, snaking a hand between her and the table to reach for her cunt. His lips pressed a kiss to her shoulder blade as he brushed her clit with his fingers.

 

A sharp pain in his side had him pulling back, slipping from her warmth.

 

She'd elbowed him in the ribs. "Get off me."

 

"I was just going to-"

 

"-I don't care. You got what you were owed, now get out." She turned and leaned against the table, her face hard and impossible to read.

 

"Don't act like you didn't want this."

 

"Yeah, ninety-seconds of thrusting is exactly what I dream about."

 

His cheeks burned at that. He was growing tired of the jabs from everyone. "I suppose you would be an expert."

 

"Too bad for you, I know you were hoping for someone who wouldn't know any better."

 

He tucked himself back into his jumpsuit and fastened the crotch again. Being challenged was something he wasn't used to, and he found he didn't care for it.

 

He straightened his back, casting a dismissive look at her. "Well, you've served the only use you have. Clean yourself up, wife, you look disgusting."

 

He turned his back on her and left.

 

#

 

Nora fought her urge to throw something at the door.

 

She'd forced a smile across her lips as he'd spoken, as he'd tried to tear her down.

 

Fuck him.

 

She reminded herself why she was doing this. It was for Preston. For all the settlements she'd built up, that she'd saved, that she'd built.

 

She'd endured the Wasteland long enough to destroy the Institute. She'd survived two hundred years in a cryopod. Nothing in the wasteland had managed to get her on her back.

 

She pulled in a shaky breath at the ache in her cunt from his roughness. She'd known he wasn't small when she'd blown him, but she'd figured they'd go slower when they actually had sex. Then he'd touched her, and for a moment, she'd forgotten.

 

She'd forgotten she wasn't back home. She wasn't with Nate. She wasn't that person. Arthur got under her skin, and she'd needed to keep that from happening. So she'd forced his hand, and in this case his cock, and ensured she'd never confuse them for she and Nate. 

 

A soft whine escaped her as she stripped down, cleaned off, and crawled into the bed.

 

 

She fell asleep for the first time in her new life, in her new home, married to her new husband. It didn't matter what Arthur Maxson was expecting from her. He could think he was going to turn her into the perfect wife, think he was going to keep her beneath his boot like some trophy uterus. He could do anything he wanted because she had more than a few tricks up her sleeve to deal with him. 

 

He had no idea what he was in for. 


	4. Chapter 4

Nora wore her snark like armor the next morning. Between the ache that had still settled deep in her stomach and her headache from a sleepless night, she'd found herself in no mood to deal with the bullshit of the soldiers around.

 

The only blessing was that Arthur had been nowhere to find. It seemed he spent most of his time with the command staff, leaving Nora free in the lower levels of the ship.

 

He sent no word to see her, hadn't checked in, hadn't made sure she was settling into the ship, that she didn't need anything.

 

While it stung, she also clung to it. She didn't need to see him. The more time she spent around him, the more likely she was to lose her mind and develop some twisted Stockholm Syndrome.

 

No, better to find a way to settle into the ship as a whole and avoid Arthur as much as possible.

 

Nora popped another bite of the scrambled eggs in her mouth. At least the food wasn't terrible. The cook in the mess hall had been quick to make her something the moment she'd walked in. Mirelurk eggs weren't chicken eggs, but when one got used to eating roach and two-hundred-year-old cans of cram, mirelurk eggs started tasting pretty damned good.

 

A young girl sat across from Nora, eyes down on her own bowl of. . .  something.

 

"Hey," Nora offered.

 

The girl lifted her gaze, eyes wide. "Do you want me to move, Ma'am?"

 

"What? No. My name is Nora, what's yours?"

 

The girl shifted on the bench. "Tracy. You’re Elder Maxson’s wife, right?"

 

"So it seems. How old are you, Tracy?"

 

"Eight."

 

"Little young to be a soldier, aren't you?"

 

She drew her shoulders back as if she'd grown another foot. "I'm a squire."

 

Nora frowned, recounting the children she'd seen aboard the Prydwen. She'd encountered plenty of brotherhood soldiers on the ground, but never with children. "What does that mean?"

 

"It means I'm training so I can join the Brotherhood when I'm old enough Right now I just clean stuff, mostly. I run errands sometimes."

 

"Where are your parents?"

 

Tracy's lips curved down, lines in her forehead showing grief she should have been too young to know. "Gone. The Brotherhood took me in after super mutants killed everyone in my settlement, back in the Capital."

 

Fuck. Nora reached out without thinking and grasped the young girl's hand. "I'm sorry. I lost my mom when I was about your age. It's hard."

 

The moment the words left Nora's mouth, she had a picture of her mom in her head. Lips painted red, hair pulled back and perfect, make-up to cover the bruises Nora's father had left on her.

 

She shook the thought away and pulled her hand back. "What is that you're eating?"

 

Tracy's lip curled up. "Mash."

 

"When you have to ask what food is, even after you know the name, it's a bad sign. What exactly is Mash?"

 

"Bits of whatever they have. They boil it all down and mash it together, then thin it with water until they have enough."

 

That couldn’t be nearly enough calories for a growing girl. At that thought, she noted the thin line of Tracy's neck.

 

The answer was pretty clear, wasn't it?

 

Nora pushed her plate across the table, only a few bites missing. She ignored the gnawing in her stomach. "I'm full. You finish it."

 

She didn’t bother to stay long enough for the girl to argue back, knowing damn well she would if given a chance. Instead, she rose off the bench and went to the cook. "Who handles rationing?"

 

The cook pointed down the hall. "Proctor Teagan handles supplies, meaning procurement and rationing."

 

She was about to have a very unpleasant conversation with Teagan.

 

 

#

 

 

Arthur fought the urge to ask Kells about Nora.

 

She'd still been asleep when he'd risen, as a guard in the hall had told him. Not a surprise. Arthur had always risen early, a habit he'd carried over from his strict upbringing. He'd never expect his wife to wake at the same time. Hell, he'd had pictures in his head of pressing a kiss to his wife’s forehead before he rolled out of bed, leaving her to sleep a little longer.

 

Those were the pictures of a life that wasn't for him, however. He'd never fall asleep beside Nora because he might wake to find she'd stolen an organ of his.

 

Still, a tension he couldn't shake kept his mind drifting to the frustrating woman. He’d wonder where she was, what she was doing. Despite his annoyance with her, he wanted to understand her. So few people confused him, and yet she managed it.

 

Worse, guilt tugged at him.

 

He'd been too rough the night before.

 

He knew it.

 

He hadn't missed the slight wince when she'd moved after they’d had sex, no matter how she'd tried to hide it. Worse? When she'd made a joke about his performance, he'd snapped at her. Sarah Lyons would have had his head if she’d seen his behavior.

 

Arthur sighed, shaking his head. His temper had rarely been an issue in his life.

 

He was steady, responsible, careful. He was exactly what the Brotherhood had molded him into. However, he also lacked experience with people questioning him. No one stood up to him, demeaned him. Hell, as much as he hated it, people worshiped him on the west coast.

 

When Nora did so, when he had to face her criticism, it turned out he didn’t care for it.

 

Still, what did it really matter?

 

As unhappy as he was with the situation, she found it no more tolerable.

 

Perhaps they could stop antagonizing each other? They'd never have love, not even friendship, but a lack of animosity would go a long way toward a more successful partnership. He’d prefer peace because the rest of his life had him surrounded by warfare. He didn’t need to worry about that with his wife, as well.

 

Perhaps a meal together would be a start. He could ensure a meal was delivered to her quarters since he was hesitant to allow her into his. Somehow, he wanted to keep that space his own. They could sit, perhaps talk, maybe come to some understanding.

 

Assuming neither tried to kill the other during.

 

 

#

 

 

"What do you mean the squire's rations are low?"

 

Teagan shrugged, his hands on the counter near the front of his supply cage. "Exactly what I said. We are low on supplies, so we make do."

 

"Bullshit. They are children, and they need more food, and not just mush, whatever the fuck that is."

 

"We give them enough to keep them alive and mostly healthy. What do you think will happen if we feed the squires all our food? Do you believe our soldiers will be able to protect them? I'm sure the squires will be thrilled to have their bellies full when raiders mow them down."

 

Nora walked over to the gate.

 

"Locked."

 

She drew her lockpicks from her pocket. "Not a problem."

 

It popped open, and she slid into the cage to speak privately.

 

Teagan didn't show any sign of annoyance. Hell, if anything, he looked damned proud. "I'm sorry, honey, but you're married to the Elder. I'm not about to touch you. That is trouble even I’m not interested in." He grinned, but his words lacked any lust.

 

"Yeah, not why I'm here. You have a map?"

 

He cocked up an eyebrow before removing a map from a back shelf. "It isn't perfect, but it's a good representation."

 

Nora skimmed her fingers across the map, blue, red, and green marks on it. None was labeled, but it wasn't that hard to figure out.

 

Nora wasn’t great at strategic planning. She’d left Preston in charge rather than her because it just wasn’t her thing. Organizing something as large as the Minutemen into a fighting, useful force was beyond her skills. What she could do was figure out what people wanted and how to give that to them. She could manipulate others, gain supplies, support, allies. Working with people on an individual level was where she excelled.

 

"Blue is for patrols green are supply lines for settlements you're getting food from, and red are enemy strongholds, yeah?"

 

He didn't answer.

 

He didn't need to.

 

She tapped her finger on Sunshine Tidings. "Here. They've got far more crops than they can use. The rotting has attracted ferals."

 

"They turned us away. Well, them at the artillery someone put up."

 

Nora's lips tilted up. "I do love big guns. Look, you're going about it the wrong way. You Brotherhood are all the same. You have one tool and think it'll always work. Doesn't matter how big your gun is, sometimes you need something different. Guy who runs this place is old NCR, in from the west. Trust me, he will let things rot before he hands anything over to the Brotherhood."

 

Nora smiled softly, thinking about Boone's no-nonsense attitude. She left off the point that if they tried anything, and got past the canons, he'd take them out with his sniper rifle before they ever got close. Man made MacCready look like an amateur.

 

"How does this help?"

 

She hopped up to sit on the counter, her ass on the map. She didn't need it anymore. "It helps because I know these people. You don't. I can tell you what he wants in order to get him to hand over the food."

 

Teagan leaned his hip against the counter, his arms crossed. "And I'm going to guess this comes at a price?"

 

"If anyone understood the price of things, it would be you. First, Arthur doesn't hear a word of this. Tell him you figured it out, whatever you want, but he doesn’t know I helped. Secondly? Squire rations get bumped up to a minimum of fifteen hundred calories a day. I'd prefer an offered two thousand, but we'll see how it goes. If you run short, talk to me and we'll find another supplier, but do not cut their food. No more mash, either. They eat what the officers eat as well."

 

Arthur couldn’t know. He had a picture in his head of who she was and she was fine with that. It kept him at a distance, ensured he liked her as little as she liked him. She wasn’t about to let kids starve to keep it up, but she didn’t need him softening toward her just because of a little help.

 

Teagan nodded. "Both acceptable, assuming there really are enough supplies."

 

She knew Boone. He was a shitty farmer but a great tactician, including ensuring a surplus of crops. "There will be. Now, settlement's leader is named Boone, and he has a pregnant wife. Strange girl, scar on her head, but that's not important. Except to say that if your people point a gun at her, one of them will end you, so don't do that. They've been getting medical supplies from Diamond City, having to travel there for care. I've seen what Cade has, the medical technology, the medicine. Offer to send Cade there for check-ups. Give them a radio so they can contact him, he'll handle her care and delivery, throw in the vitamins and bloodwork and ultrasounds, and trust me, Boone will give you whatever food you want."

 

Teagan cocked up an eyebrow. "You think someone as hardass as you describe would give in so easily?"

 

"Let's just say that potentially losing his wife is a sticking point for him. He'll agree happily for some piece of mind, especially since he can't stand the Diamond City doctor. Yeah, Boone will jump at the chance."

 

Talking about Boone had Nora's chest aching. She missed her friends. All the people she'd met across the wasteland, the strange relationships she'd cultivated. She missed Deacon's jokes, and the way Hancock would giggle when high, and Boone's glare, and Piper's rambling.

 

So many parts of her past she'd given up for their own good, for all of their future.

 

They'd all followed her into hell, a hell that was at least partly her fault, since her son had done it.

 

They deserved some peace.

 

"This will still take us time. A week at least before a deal can be struck."

 

Nora nodded. "Fine. Tell me when it's done, and if I find out you told Arthur I was involved, I'm going to ensure to make your life miserable."

 

"Well, I'll avoid that, as I've been enjoying you making the Elder's life miserable."

 

The squire from earlier, Tracy, walked up to the front counter of the supply room. "Nora? Elder Maxson wanted me to tell you he planned dinner in your quarters for seven tonight."

 

"What do you mean 'planned?'"

 

"He said you two were going to dine together."

 

"Of course, he did. Lord Maxson doesn't ask for anything, he just demands." Nora rolled her eyes before remembering not to take it out on the kid. It wasn't her fault her boss was a douche. "Thanks, Tracy."

 

As she left, Teagan chuckled. "Well, that should be amusing. Maybe you can sell tickets."

 

Nora tossed a half-hearted glare before leaving the proctor alone.

 

It seemed her husband wanted to spend the evening with her, and she'd make sure he regretted it.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story will be updated every Monday until finished. :)

 

Nora took the seat across the table from Arthur. Food sat on plates between them, as decadent as breakfast. If they fed the Elder well, and as his wife, Nora got the same treatment.

Arthur wore his same jumpsuit. It didn’t appear he’d taken any steps toward dressing up. Not that she’d expect him to, not that she had.

“How was your day?” His gaze stayed down on his food, the words seeming ripped from him.

“Really? Are we doing the whole ‘how was your day bullshit?”

“We could throw insults back and forth, but I thought perhaps we’d done enough of that.”

She rose from the chair and walked to the cabinet near the back where she’d placed the alcohol she’d taken from Teagan. The whiskey sloshed as she carried it back to the table. “I don’t think we’re ever going to done with that.”

“Why not? People have had successful political marriages for a very long time. If we stopped antagonizing one another, we could at least work together. We’re both here because we wanted something from this. We might never have any great love, but we could still both get what we wanted from this.”

Nora took the cap off the whiskey and tipped it back, gulping down three large swallows before wiping her mouth. “I told you already, I’ll do what I have to. I’ll fuck you, I’ll have your kids, but that’s it. I don’t need or want some bullshit relationship. Political or not.”

He pushed his plate aside and set his forearms on the table. “Is that really the life you want? This ugliness between us? To have nothing but hatred for your husband?”

“It’s the life I agreed to when I drew up that contract.” She drank between their conversation, trying to pour as much whiskey down her throat as she could. Whiskey always numbed the parts of life she didn't care to think about. She'd given it up when she'd met Nate, but after losing him? Hell, she'd crawled back into that bottle. 

“You drew it up?”

“Not bad, huh? My years of law school were not spent in vain. Trust me, even though you want out of this, I made it foolproof.”

“So you stacked it against me?”

“Nope. I can’t back out of it, either. I made it fair for us both. I’m sure you had people look over it. It assured you everything you wanted.”

“Yet you aren’t at all what I’d wanted.” The words didn’t come out like an insult, more like musing out loud.

“Funny how that works, huh? No matter how well you plan things, something always slips through the cracks.”

“And leave it to you to be the thing I couldn’t predict.”

She set down the whiskey and pushed it toward him. “I pride myself on being unpredictable.”

Arthur took the bottle and downed the last of it, the small amount she hadn’t drank. “We’re going to be leaving, soon.”

“Leaving? Where to?” Nora’s back straightened. She’d known Arthur would leave at some point, though she suspected the Brotherhood would not give up their foothold. Still, the offensive had been won. His position secured. The enemy defeated. She just hadn’t expected to have to leave so soon.

She’d thought they’d have at least a year before he hauled her away from the only friends she had left.

She tried to keep that off her face, to not give him anything to use against her. 

“A vacation, of sorts. Cade suggested in that way doctors do which implies it is not optional, that we take some time away from prying eyes to get to know each other.”

Nora released a snort. “Right. Because the more we know about each other, the better things are going to get?” She frowned after a moment as the words sunk in. “Wait a minute? Is this supposed to be a honeymoon?” She spat the word, trying to remove the taste of it.

It took her back to her honeymoon with Nate. They hadn’t had money, not with putting her through law school and him in the military, so there were no large trips or grand adventures.

They’d gone camping, instead. A beautiful forest near a stream about three hours from their house. They’d set up a tent, their sleeping bags on the ground, a rock digging into her back for part of the night.

Not that it bothered her, she’d just ended up putting Nate on his back instead. They’d sat by the campfire for hours.

“Nora?” Arthur’s voice dragged her away from the fond memory. Her cheeks ached, and she realized she’d been smiling, lost in the memory, in the life torn from her.

The smile slid away. “Sorry. What?”

He frowned, brows furrowed like he couldn’t make sense of her. “I was saying I’d rather not go into a big city or leave the Commonwealth. Big cities invite trouble and are more difficult to secure, and staying close ensures if there are any emergencies, I’m near enough to handle them.”

“Makes sense.” She retook her seat, stomach uneasy with the whiskey and lack of food. She’d barely touched her meal, planning to again hand it off to the squires. 

He hadn’t moved his gaze from her, the study making her uneasy. He ate, methodical bites that said he paid more attention to her than the food. “Why don’t you want to go anywhere with me? Are you afraid?”

“It takes a lot more than you to scare me, Arthur. I don’t really want to go because you’re an asshole.”

He sighed, the sound long and quiet. It seemed the dinner hadn’t gone the way he’d wanted, and she really didn’t give a fuck. When had she ever gotten what she'd wanted in life? Why did he assume his wants mattered at all?

“When are we leaving?”

“Two days from now. If you have no opinion on where, I’ll have men set up a temporary camp in a well-scouted area.”

“So not alone?”

“They’ll create a perimeter far enough away for privacy, but you did marry the Elder of the East Coast Brotherhood, Nora. We're not likely to get much time alone.”

“You were alone in Goodnieghbor.”

“Somewhat, yes. It was a rare occurrence. However, you have to remember, now it is not just me but my wife. You’ll hardly notice them. Though, I suggest you get used to Brotherhood soldiers because that part of your life will not change.”

“Not going to get a break from all the creaking metal around here?”

“No. In fact, if you need to go anywhere outside of strictly brotherhood controlled complexes, you’ll need a full security detail. Aboard the Prydwen is the only place you’ll need no security at all.”

Nora cocked up an eyebrow at that. “Excuse me? In case you’ve forgotten, I took down the Institute. I’ve killed coursers. You really think I can’t run to the store on my own?”

“It is non-negotiable. You are now a target due to your relationship with me, and many would want to use that to their own benefit. Besides, I wouldn’t worry too much about it.”

“And why is that?”

“Because it won’t matter once you become pregnant.”

“Why not? You may not have been around many pregnant women, but we aren’t suddenly bedridden because we get knocked up.”

“No. It won’t matter because once you conceive you’ll return to the citadel, a Brotherhood stronghold. There is no place safer for you or our children.”

“You’ll just head back and put someone else in charge here?”

He shook his head before pushing his empty plate away. “No. I will remain on the front lines where I’m needed. However, that is no place for my pregnant wife or my young children.”

Nora shoved her seat back, ignoring the way it clattered to the floor when she stood. “You are insane if you seriously think you are going to just lock me up as soon as I get pregnant like some baby-maker for you.”

“Isn’t that what you said you wanted? You were clear you’d give me heirs, and this way you won’t have to be around me during any non-essential time. I will return when you near your due date to be there for the birth. I will also return when it is time to attempt again. You will have a safe place to raise the children away from me. That was what you wanted, wasn’t it?” His face remained passive, but Nora didn’t miss the slight tilt of his lips that said he damned well was goading her.

No, she didn't want to spend time with him. She also didn’t want to leave her home. The Commonwealth was hers. Not just because she’d been born there, because she’d lived there her whole life, but because she’d fucking bled for it, she’d saved it. Here Arthur was ready to take it away from her.

Instead of admitting anything, because she refused to give Arthur anything to use, she picked her plate up and turned.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m done eating.”

“You barely touched your food.”

“As it turns out, your company isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.” She left the room, making sure to slam the door on her way out.

 

#

 

Arthur sighed as he stared down at Nora. She hadn’t returned to her room, so when midnight passed, he went to find her.

It hadn't taken long to find the little corner she’d crawled into. She’d picked the lock on Teagan’s cage, then made a bed in the back corner of it. Arthur might not have found it at all had a young squire not nodded toward the spot.

His wife didn’t hold her alcohol well, it seemed. How often in the short time he'd known her had she been sober? It would have to be stopped before she conceived, of course. He could consider placing a guard on her, search her room. Keeping her watched like that wasn't ideal, but he'd not risk his offspring's health.

Soft snores left her, and Arthur struggled to know what to do about her. Each attempt he made, feeble though they might be, seemed to only further wedge them apart.

He lifted her, surprised to find her so light. Everyone averted their gaze as he walked her back to her room, the only sort of privacy one could expect on a ship like theirs. That was the life he lived, however. People watched, but they also were quick to pretend, to hold tight to their illusions of perfection. 

He settled her into her bed after using his heel to close the door behind them.

A soft whimper left her, and she rolled to her side, curling up. Her hand pressed to her lower stomach.

The guilt came back, clawed at him, mocked him for his anger and his lack of control and his poor choices. Her flinching during the day, even as she hid it, had said he'd treated her poorly. Insults were one thing, harming her physically with sex was another. 

Arthur went to the door, leaned out for a guard, and made a request. It took only a few minutes before the guard returned and handed him the warmed heating pad.

Nora didn’t fight him when he pressed the heating pad to her lower stomach and even curled tighter around it.

He sat on the bed beside her, able to look at her for the first time. With her silent, he didn’t see the mess he’d seen so often. Without her distracting him by cursing and insulting him, he was able to actually study her.

She was not stunning, not special, really. Lines in her forehead said that even in her fitful, whiskey-soaked rest, she still worried. Strange to think a woman so careless would have such worries.

Could she be a partner to him? Someday, could they have peace, at least?

Could he come back from war to her, to their children, and perhaps she’d smile to see him? So it wouldn’t be love; it wouldn’t be joy where she’d throw her arms around him and offer kisses, where she’d pull him to their room to taste him, to feel him. Still, it could be comfort. 

To have someone who waited for him, someone who at last cared he lived for him and not his name. Someone he could sit across from on the nights he returned, a friend, a confidant? 

Maybe it wasn’t the life he’d wanted, the life he’d planned for, but it was something.

Another soft whine left her lips, so Arthur slid his fingers through her hair. She arched into the touch, seeking. How could this be the same woman?

Arthur didn’t know, wasn’t sure how to handle things. The moment she woke, she snarled at him, and he responded with equal vitriol, and how would that ever end in anything peaceful? 

She was something he couldn’t figure out, and if nothing else, the mystery drew him. 

Arthur stood, then shook his head. Tomorrow, they’d head out to their mockery of a honeymoon, to more of the sham of a marriage.

He doubted things could get much worse.


	6. Chapter 6

Nora smiled as Tracy ate the breakfast she'd given the girl. The girl spoke fast, having grown more comfortable around Nora once she realized she wasn’t much like the other officers.

Nora had always liked kids. That subtle pain in her chest when she thought of her own child, the one she hadn’t been able to raise, it choked her. A hard rub of the heel of her hand against her sternum eased it.

Tracy would be coming with them. Nora had claimed it was because she needed help and it would be silly to assign a soldier to her for that. The truth was, Nora wanted to ensure the girl ate, and any distraction would be useful.

She’d woken up in her own bed, a cold heating pad against her stomach. The night before had been hazy, whiskey coloring most of it. She remembered dinner, the talk of the honeymoon, of her being shipped off like a pet. Then she’d stormed out before he could see how hurt she was, how afraid to leave she was. She’d wandered for an hour before popping the lock on Teagan’s cage and making a bed for her drunken ass.

Arthur must have found her, returned her to her bed. She didn’t find the action sweet, feeling more like a dog returned to its crate. The heating pad. . . that one unnerved her.

He must have realized she was still sore. Had he cared? Probably just him trying to save face, to look like the man he wanted people to think he was.

“I’ve never been past the airport,” Tracy said, drawing Nora back to the conversation.

“Never?”

She shook her head as she stuck another forkful into her mouth and spoke around it. “I was at the Citadel at first, then came here. Elder Maxson doesn’t like squires leaving the protected areas much. A few of the older ones go on missions with escorts, as they’re getting ready to train, but most of us just clean and run errands either up here or at the airport.”

“Well, I’ve been all over the Commonwealth. You’d love Goodneighbor.”

“I heard Kells talking about it once. He said it was a bad place.”

“No. It's a little different, but It’s a lot of fun. I know the Mayor, and I bet you’d love to see the town from the roof his the statehouse. And he’d let you get up on stage and sing with Magnolia-”

“-I heard her on the radio! You know her?”

Nora’s smile spread at the hero-worship on Tracy’s face. “Yeah, I know her. She’d let you sing whatever song you wanted with her.”

“Do you think you could show me sometime?”

Nora was ready to say yes, to promise her that they’d go. First, they’d go to Goodneighbor; she’d introduce Tracy to Hancock, to Magnolia and Ham and Kent. Then, they’d go to Diamond City and see Piper, Nat, Vadim, and Yefim. She’d take the girl to Sanctuary to meet most of her friends, to see Dogmeat and Preston and Deacon. Then she remembered Arthur’s words.

He’d send her away just as soon as she was pregnant. There was no way he’d allow her to leave, to take Tracy and show her the life Nora had built. Nora had sacrificed that life to keep it safe. Nora wasn’t a woman to worry about anyone ‘allowing’ her anything, but she’d signed the contract.

She knew damned well what was in it.

She still could remember the sweat on her palms as she’d worked out the agreements, as she’d gone back and forth with Arthur on paper. Attempts for conception every three days until she became pregnant. She was required to remain in residence with him, at his discretion. It meant while he couldn’t lock her in a room on the Prydwen, he could tell her where she would live and when.

Nora couldn’t say any of that to the child, though, so she forced a smile. “Maybe. I’m going to go get my things ready, okay? Finish eating, then meet me at the vertibird.”

Tracy nodded, shoveling more of the food into her mouth. The happiness on the girl's face helped ease the gnawing in Nora’s own stomach.

It had been three days since she’d really eaten anything more than a few bites. With any luck, Teagan would get the deal worked out with Boone, and Nora would have something again. Her head ached between the stress and the lack of food, and all she really wanted was to go back to bed.

Unfortunately, Arthur had said they’d leave just after breakfast. She still had no idea where they’d spend their trip, and she hadn’t cared enough to ask.

One cell was about the same as any other. At least she’d have Tracy there for company.

She just had to make it through the damned trip.

 

#

 

Arthur nodded as he looked over the house that had been set up for Nora and him. His soldiers had created a perimeter and patrols, setting tents further out from the abandoned house. They’d closed up the large holes and done their best to make the cabin into something cozy.

In any other circumstances, Arthur might have considered it cozy, even romantic. A bed sat in the center, a fireplace with logs already in it, a table set for two and a couch. The bathroom appeared to have running facilities, a rarity anymore.

Nora took notice of none of it as she dropped her bag near the door. She wavered on her feet, then rubbed her fingers against the bridge of her nose.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

She pinched the bridge of her nose before shaking her head. “Yeah. Fine. So, how long are you doing this bullshit for?”

Her curse had his shoulders tightening like they always did. Had she no idea how much the cursing grated on his nerves? “A week. Cade felt that enough time for us to get to know each other away from prying eyes.”

“You brought four squads of five people each. That’s a lot of prying eyes.”

“I already explained to you that safety is paramount. I will not risk my wife to poor planning. That many soldiers gives us enough men for proper patrols.”

“And Tracy will be safe with them?”

Her concern over the youngest squire on the ship annoyed him. Perhaps it was because she showed no concern for him, but had taken the girl in immediately. “She has lived with these soldiers for most of her life. Each one would die for her or for any of the other squires. She will be fine, though why you insisted she tag along, I don’t understand.”

Nora ran her fingers across a line of book spines, slowing on each one. “You and I don’t get along. I figured it would be nice to have someone here I could stand.”

Arthur sighed before opening the cabinets to check the supplies left. Some dried meat, some candies, cans of water. He knew someone would cook meals and deliver them, leaving Nora and he time to. . . what?

If it were a real honeymoon, they’d spend much of the time in bed. However, he doubted she wanted that. She wasn’t required to have sex again until the next day and given she hadn’t wanted him to get her off before, he didn’t see her wanting to spend much time doing that.

Were they supposed to talk? Perhaps he’d work on the paperwork he’d brought to catch up on, and she could read. They’d spend the week in silence interrupted only for the quick bouts of obligatory sex the contract required.

The idea exhausted him.

“So, we’re both sleeping here?”

Arthur nodded as he shut the cabinet. “Yes. It would be unseemly for us to sleep apart.”

“We sleep apart on the Prydwen.”

“We have our own quarters, yes. It’s not uncommon for that with new marriages, but there are expectations of a honeymoon.”

“And you care what people think, don’t you?” She turned her back to the shelf and leaned against it.

He ignored the jab. “I’d appreciate if you didn’t spend the entire time with the soldiers. If you need other reading materials, I’ll send for them. Anything else you require, ask. I’d like for it to seem as if we get along. The men need to feel as if there is stability among their officers, and that now includes you.”

“So I’m in charge now, too?” Her lips quirked up in a smirk that could almost be adorable. Almost.

“No. Any order you give would go through me. However, as my wife, you’ll be under as much scrutiny as I am. By showing a solid front, we give a sense of foundation to the Brotherhood.” Arthur sat on the couch, then went to work on his boots. “The Maxson line has a strong history, all the way back to Roger Maxson who founded the Brotherhood. Once you settle in, you can begin lessons with Proctor Quinlan about the history of the Brotherhood and the Maxson line.”

Her lip curled up. “Must be nice to be a legacy.”

“What did your family do?”

“Mom stayed at home and raised me before she died.”

“When did she pass?”

“I was ten.”

He frowned, gaze on the boots he unlaced. “I’m sorry. My parents died when I was very young as well. What about your father?”

She said nothing, drawing Arthur’s gaze up. Her face was turned away, lips pressed together, eyes vacant. The look startled him, had him ready to stand. He’d seen annoyance, some anger, humor, but what was that? Fear?

“Nora?”

Her face snapped back toward him. “He was a soldier until he was injured.” Her words stuck together with anger, despite the flat way she spoke, as if that could hide her feelings.

Was that part of her hatred of him? That he was a soldier just like this father she seemed to hate?

“What-”

“-No more questions. My past isn’t your business. That contract gave you my future, not my past.”

“Why must you turn everything into a fight?”

“Because that’s all you’re going to get from me.”

Arthur yanked at the laces of his boots, retying them, always a step backward with her. “I hope you think about that when you’re miserable and alone. Remember that you decided that was the future you wanted, not me.”

“Right, because you, who makes it clear how fucking disappointed in me you are gets to talk about being happy, huh?”

“Maybe if you didn’t act like this, I wouldn’t be so disappointed! I swear, it is like you work to make yourself the least acceptable wife you could.” Arthur’s temper slipped as he spoke.

“Well, good for me, because I’d slit my own wrists if I were the sort of wife you wanted me to be.”

“You aren’t the sort anyone would want. Is that why you agreed to this contract? Because you knew no one would put up with you unless legally obligated to? Is this how you got your last husband, too?”

Her eyes narrowed, waves of aggression coming off her so strongly, he expected her to punch him. Hell, he was waiting for it. She’d throw a punch, he’d pin her, and they’d probably have angry sex.

Instead, she tore her gaze from him. “Get out, you asshole.”

“Gladly.” Arthur stormed out of the cabin.

Some honeymoon.


	7. Chapter 7

 

Arthur returned hours later, once he was sure she’d had time to settle. He’d kept no weapons in the cabin, which meant he felt reasonably sure he would be shot upon entering. Anything short of that seemed possible.

His temper had calmed while he’d ‘studied the camp.’ It had been an excuse, of course. He didn’t need to tell his men that his wife had chased him off.

Still, as his anger had cooled, his guilt returned. How she could draw this out of him, he wasn’t sure. He’d never felt like lashing out before, though he’d never had a person willing to challenge him, either.

Inside the cabin, a figure in the bed said she’d put herself to sleep for the night. 

Good. He didn’t need arguments.

Arthur stripped down to his underwear before crawling into the large bed, hoping she was asleep enough to not notice, to not wake.

She grumbled in her sleep when the bed shifted, unhappy as always. Unhappy with his presence, unhappy with the world, unhappy with him. 

He wasn’t used to losing, yet he saw no way to win.

She mumbled, less angry than before, and scooted closer.

The bite of whiskey slid from her lips. How did the woman put away as much liquor as she did? Arthur had never been a man to drink much. He disliked being out of control and trusted few enough to indulge.

He had a reputation to live up to, a name to earn. The idea of being drunk, of not having full control of his actions unnerved him. What if he did something foolish? 

A drink in the evening before bed was all he allowed himself, which accounted for the many mostly-full bottles in his room. 

Nora though, she overindulged. He’d seen her three evenings thus far, and she’d drank herself to passing out two of them. 

“Why do you do this?” Arthur asked the question, voice soft as if he might get some answer.

Maybe he could fix her? Maybe he could find some way to fix whatever was broken in her that made her act the way she did. She obviously wouldn’t be allowed to continue drinking as they attempted to conceive, but perhaps all this unsightly behavior could be corrected. 

Nora didn’t answer, of course, though she did scoot closer and curl into his chest. Her hand slid around his side, fingers gentle. She didn’t claw like she normally did, her breath warming a spot on his chest as she nuzzled against him.

The action was odd. He allowed himself to push his luck, to wrap his arm around her and pretend they were different. He pretended she wasn’t what she was, that they had the future he’d wanted. 

Arthur pulled her tighter against him, ignored the stench of whiskey, and closed his eyes. 

Maybe he could still turn her into the person he deserved. 

 

#

 

Nora smiled as she and Tracy trudged through the trees. It hadn’t taken much to slip the patrols Arthur had set up. They were created to keep people out, not to keep them in, and Nora had always excelled at subtly.

Tracy had hesitated, but Nora had sworn she’d take any blame. As Arthur’s wife, Tracy had been assigned as a personal squire. It meant she had to take orders from Nora, and Nora had used that to her advantage.

A couple picked locks for some weapons, and she and Tracy were on their way. 

The moment Nora had seen where Arthur had chosen, she’d grinned. The reasoning was clear once she’d caught sight of Teagan that morning.

Less than a mile west was Sunshine Tidings. It meant that less than a mile away were her friends, and Arthur’s plan to ship her off meant she’d damn well go see them.

Who knew if she’d have another chance.

“You’re sure it’s safe?” Tracy leaned closer to Nora.

“Yeah, it’s safe. Minutemen patrols keep the roads clear, and if we do run into anything, I’m armed. Don’t worry; I wouldn’t take you somewhere that wasn’t safe.”

“We should have brought a guard, one of the soldiers.” 

Nora opened her mouth to mention how many soldiers she’d put down but doubted Tracy would find that helpful. Instead, she went with a safer line of conversation. “Trust me, okay? I can handle this. I’ve hunted down coursers and fought deathclaws and one time I chased a ghost through Far Harbor. Though, I might have been high.” She turned to offer a smile at the young girl. 

Tracy said little during the last leg of the trip, and before long the large fence around Sunshine Tidings and those familiar guns had Nora smiling.

A face, obscured with sunglasses and a barret appeared through the gate. “It’s been a while,” Boone said, lips pulling into the most of a smile he ever offered.

Past him, a grinning girl shoved, dark hair braided back. She tried to rush, but an obviously pregnant belly kept her slow. “Took you long enough!”

Nora embraced the girl, Six, and returned the tight hug. “Sorry, I’ve been busy.” 

Six pulled away before kneeling in front of Tracy. “Hi. I’m Six.” 

Tracy turned her gaze up to Nora, but a nod had her pulling her back straight. “I’m Tracy. I’m in the Brotherhood.”

Six cocked up an eyebrow in Nora’s direction before smiling back at the girl. “Well, no one’s perfect. Are you hungry? Because we have chili cooking and I’m pretty sure someone made cookies for dessert.” 

Tracy’s face lit up, but her answer came out careful, “I don’t have any caps.” 

“You don’t need any. Walk right in there,” Six pointed through the front gate, toward the large barn in the center. “They’ll get you set up.” 

Nora nodded again. “Go on, it’s fine. You’re as safe as can be here.”

Tracy pulled at her squire outfit as if it gave her the courage before marching off in the direction Six had pointed.

“She’s too thin,” Boone said, the furrowing of his brow visible even through the glasses. It was one of the things Nora had found she liked about the man. He didn’t say much, but what he said mattered. 

He had a hard line when it came to women and children, not that he’d say anything. It had been Six one night who had told his story, had explained how Boone’s wife had been sold into slavery, and how he’d loosed the bullet that had ended her to save her from what would have happened to her. Boone didn’t share, didn’t talk about anything, but she’d seen him put down men who threatened women or children. You always knew where you stood with Boone.

“I know. It’s one reason I was hoping you’d agree to the Brotherhood’s deal.”

Boone kicked his foot against the dirt. “Should have known that had your fingerprints all over it. You’ll be glad to know I already agreed. First shipment goes out in two days. In fact, that sleazy proctor who negotiated it is still here to escort the first shipment back. Didn’t plan on putting him up for a few days, but he said he likes to personally oversee these things.”

“I didn’t send him; I just made a suggestion that would benefit both parties.”

Six huffed a laugh as she moved back, sliding an arm around Boone’s waist. She leaned into his side, the two happy in a way that made Nora’s chest ache. “You were always good at getting people to do what you wanted.” Her gaze followed Tracy. “What are you doing with a Brotherhood squire, Nora? They aren’t your normal style, and I’ve heard some rumors I don’t like.”

Nora sighed and pulled the strap of the rifle to ease where it pulled on her shoulder. “Long story. You think we could go feed me, too? I’ve been giving that girl all my food for three days, and I’m starving.” 

Six looked back at Nora, face softening, that look of home Nora already missed. “Sure. What are friends for?” 


	8. Chapter 8

Nora scarfed the food down, already on her second bowl. As always, Six had proven herself a great cook. Chunks of meat, probably radstag if she had to guess, had simmered for hours with tatos, beans, and spices. 

Tracy sat with Boone at workbench while he went over the mods on his sniper rifle. Tracy leaned forward, fingers pointing as she asked questions. Boone’s cheek would twitch, an almost-smile, then he’d answer and explain. 

“So, you got married and didn’t even invite me? I’ve got to say, I’m hurt.” Six had her feet up and across the couch, Nora sitting on the floor by the fireplace.

“Wasn’t like that. I didn’t even have a wedding.”

Six’s lips pressed together, eyebrows inching in. It made that scar on her forehead move. “Do you need us? Because if you’re somewhere you don’t want to be, you know Boone and I will help. Hell, everyone will.” 

Nora swallowed down another spoonful. “Nothing like that. It was a political move, nothing more. You’ve seen what the Brotherhood has, Six. You’re a smart girl, you know what they could do. They were circling the Minutemen, the Railroad. It was only a matter of time before one side or the other snapped.”

“So you sold yourself to stop it? Come on, Nora, we could take some soldiers. Boone and I have faced down worse than them.” 

Nora pointed her spoon as Six’s stomach. “You really want to risk your baby on that? You know what war is like better than anyone else. People die, and it’s the ones who can’t do shit that pay the real price. I sure as hell am not going to be the one who has to tell Boone you and his kid were killed in a war that didn’t need to happen.” 

Six set her hand on her stomach, gaze on the fireplace. “Yeah, we know what war is like. We also know that sometimes you have to risk everything. Boone would jump in, no questions asked, if you needed us. I need to know you know that.” 

And. . . Nora did know that. Hell, it made it worse. She knew damned well that one request from any of her friends and they’d go riding in. It wouldn’t matter the odds, the reasons, nothing. That was the exact reason she couldn’t though. 

“I know, and that’s why I’m doing this. You all risked so much for me already. You followed me when you didn’t have to, risked everything. I can’t let anyone else die for me. This deal, it’s all of our best chance. With the Brotherhood here, we have a real ability to keep order, to keep the raiders in line, to deal with the super mutants.” Nora shook her head and set the empty bowl aside. “It’s the right choice.”

“Tell me about him, about this Arthur Maxson.” 

Nora drew her knees up in front of her and set her chin on them. “He’s an asshole.” 

“So a good fit, then?” Six’s smirk took the sting away.

Nora returned a half-hearted smile. “I can’t even be too mad. He was expecting someone else.”

“Who?”

“A perfect wife, I guess. Quiet. Sweet. Proper.”

The bark of laughter from Six had Boone lifting his head in concern. She waved him off, even as the laughter took a while to subside. “Yeah, you are a lot of things, but proper hasn’t ever been one of them. Hell, I almost feel bad for him. Bet you’ve given him a run for his money, huh?”

“Well, he isn’t aware she’s here for starters.” The new voice had Nora twisting her head and both Boone and Six pointing pistols in the newcomer’s direction. 

Teagan lifted his hands, though his face never drifted from subtle amusement. “I heard Lady Maxson was here. Given her position in the Brotherhood, I felt the need to check in on her safety.” He turned his gaze to Tracy. “Hello, Squire. Did she rope you into this as well?” 

Tracy shook her head. “I’m supposed to go with her and help.” 

His smile widened. “Of course you are. No worries, you did well. Now, can I come in or is someone planning on shooting me?” 

Boone lowered his gun, then went back to his conversation with Tracy.

Six kept hers trained on Teagan. “I haven’t decided yet. I’m not a fan of my friend coming in here half-starved, or the state of that kid. So, I still might shoot you.” 

Teagan pulled a chair from beside the wall closer to the fireplace, then sat in it. “Well, you’ll have many chances and impulses to shoot me, I’m sure. This won’t be your last chance, so why don’t we put it off for now?”

Six narrowed her eyes and set the gun in her lap, but kept her hand over it. “As you can see, Nora is fine. Better than she was with you if her polishing off two bowls means anything.” 

Teagan skirted his gaze from Nora to Tracy then back. “You were-”

Nora jammed a finger at him, then pressed it over her lips. If Tracy knew, she’d blame herself. 

He nodded. “If that occurs again, come and see me. I assure you, I have additional rations available for cases like that. Arthur would be furious to know his wife had gone without food.” He kept his voice low so it didn’t carry, though the tilt of Boone’s head said he listened. “And I sent word once I’d heard you were here. Arthur can overreact when worried, and I didn’t want him thinking you’d been kidnapped or run away.” 

“Tattle-tale.”

He shrugged. “You don’t know Arthur well, yet. He is very protective over those he considers himself responsible for. When his wife and a young squire go missing with no word, foul play is a genuine possibility. Did you want him interrogating people? Searching settlements for you? No? Then he needed to know both of you were safe.” 

“He doesn’t seem like someone who cares about anything except what he deserves.”

Teagan kicked his feet out toward the fireplace. “He’s stubborn, and he’s young. You haven’t seen his best side-”

“-Not sure he has one.”

“-but he has a lot of responsibility. I doubt either of you have made the best showing. This situation isn’t ideal for building bridges.” 

Nora sighed as she leaned closer to the heat. “It doesn't matter what the circumstance is, I’m not what he wants.”

Teagan’s eyebrow lifted. “No, you’re not. You might be exactly what he needs, though.” 

 

#

 

Arthur was going to do something to that woman when he found her. What, he didn’t know, but something.

If it were one of his men who had disobeyed an order and run off, he’d have put them to work, would have taken their privileges away, had them scrubbing floors.

What the hell was he supposed to do with Nora? He’d never hurt her, couldn’t put her down, not if he wanted his men to respect her. That went the same for any sort of labor. He needed to portray a united front and stability, which limited how he could handle the situation. He was tempted to put her over his knee, but he doubted that was anything that would end with either of them learning a lesson.

At least not one about discipline. 

So what was he supposed to do? He’d left her in the bed alone before she’d woken, gone to check over the camp. It had been nearly lunchtime when he’d returned to their cabin to find her gone. Another hour to be sure she wasn’t anywhere in the camp, and to find her squire gone.

Arthur hadn’t felt fear. He suspected that to be a bad sign, but he hadn’t been afraid. There wasn’t much to like about her, much to miss had she been hurt, so fear wasn’t there. Anger though? He’d felt anger.

Anger that she might have run. Anger that anyone would dare touch what was his. Anger when things in his life didn’t bend to his will.

The large gate ahead of him and the four men he’d brought had him wanting to curse. Of course, she’d hidden from him behind a wall. Arthur had tried to give her what she needed, and she’d run. 

Arthur approached the gate and the two guards who stood watch there, hands on their rifles. “I’m here to see my wife.” 

“No one gets in without talking to Boone.”

“He’s fine.” Nora’s voice came from behind the guards as she passed between them. 

One of the guards turned his head to look at her. “You’re sure? He looks like trouble.” 

Nora didn’t look Arthur’s way. “He is, but I’ll take responsibility for him. It’s fine.”

The guard smiled, a full-on smile that said he thought the world of Nora before stepping back. “Anything you say. He gives you any trouble, you let us know, okay?”

Nora still didn’t look at Arthur but nodded her head to have him follow. They passed the gates and entered the settlement. Arthur took a moment to appreciate the work.

Artillery was placed in proper places, and turrets lined the walls, plus placed on roofs. Unless he had a good reason, it was a place Arthur would have avoided taking. It would have caused a great deal of loss to manage.

“I’m surprised you let me in. I figured you’d have enjoyed a good laugh if they stopped me there.” 

Nora’s shoulders lifted. “If you got stopped it would have ended in a firefight. I wasn’t looking to see my friends killed because you wanted to prove you’re tough.”

“And you? You run off and don’t say a word? What if you had been attacked?” 

She tucked a thumb beneath the strap of the rifle to lift it. “Anything that could get me between there and here is something I can handle.”

“Where’s Tracy?”

She hesitated and turned to face him, the first time she’d looked at him since he’d arrived. “You know her name?”

Arthur shifted his gaze away. “I know most of the squires' names, especially the very young ones. They require additional supervision and help.”

She said nothing, and when he risked looking at her face again, her lips were tipped down into a frown. She took a step forward, then paused and shook her head. A too tense smile stretched over her lips, and she nodded in the direction she’d been headed. “Come on. I had a place set up for your guards. They’ll be bunking with Teagan. Boone set up a big fire, a get-together. Tracy is already there, Teagan is keeping an eye on her, and I was waiting for you to show so you didn’t get shot on the doorstep.”

Arthur caught her arm to pull her to a stop. “I don’t want to go to some get-together. I want to return to our camp where it is safe.” 

Nora shoved his hand away from her. “You’re planning on shipping me away from my home the second you knock me up. I’m damned well going to spend the little time I have left here with the people I actually give a shit about. If you want to leave, go ahead! You won’t drag me out of here, though. Fuck your stupid honeymoon, this stupid game you’re playing for your people. You can stay here and put on a happy face, or you can leave alone and explain to them why I’m not there.” 

Arthur’s lips pressed together. He could try to haul her out, but like she’d said, there’d be bloodshed. He didn’t want to throw lives away for no damn reason. 

Nora tossed one more glare his way before turning her back on him and heading away.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for the lateness of this chapter! I've been sick this week, and just not up for editing. I am doing better, however! <3

Nora wasn’t surprised when Arthur took a seat beside her by the large fire pit. What people thought of him meant more than anything else.

There was no chance he’d head back to the cabin without her. He wanted everyone to think they were some perfect couple. He wanted to hold up the Maxson legacy with the perfect little wife. He couldn’t do that if he returned without her.

Six sat across from them, her hard gaze on Arthur. Sometimes the woman could smile so wide, it was easy to forget who she was.

Six had done to New Vegas what Nora had to the Commonwealth. She’d pulled herself out of a grave, tracked down the man who’d put her there, and molded the land into what she wanted of it. In that case, an independent New Vegas.

However, after that, she and Boone had wanted to settle down, so they’d left, headed east until finding Nora and her little corner of the world.

Still, when Six laughed and joked, it was easy to ignore what the girl could do. 

Arthur twisted away from the weight of the glare when Teagan approached, and the two fell into their own quiet conversation. 

Good enough for Nora. She didn’t need to worry about him, about what he thought, about what he might say. She’d have rather he didn’t show at all, but this was a second best option. At least she could pretend Arthur wasn’t even there.

Six and she spoke, exchanging updates. It had been too long since she’d seen her, too long since she’d seen many of her friends.

With so many things happening, so much in the air, Nora hadn’t left the Castle much over the past six months. Worse? As soon as negotiations had started with Arthur, she’d not wanted to see anyone. She hadn’t told anyone beyond Preston of the agreement. Somehow, even after everything she’d done, she’d found the idea of selling herself off distasteful. Those months of in between had been easier, so focused on a goal. Now, she had to admit just how much she’d missed her friends. 

Nora told Six about Preston and a new Minuteman recruit. The cute couple were smitten, and Nora hadn’t ever seen Preston so happy. They talked about finding Hancock someone, and about MacCready and Curie. Six told her about Cait and Deacon, the strangest pairing Nora could have figured, but somehow, they worked. 

“It’s funny, isn’t it?”

Six offered a soft hmm in question.

“I grew up thinking people met their perfect partner, and it was fate or some shit. I thought it was magic, that there was this one obviously perfect person for everyone. Did you think that as a kid?”

Six’s hand stroked over her stomach. “No idea. Everything before,” she pointed at the scar on her forehead, “is gone. Boone likes to say I’m a romantic, though, so probably.” 

Nora caught a glance at Boone, his head twisted toward the name like no matter the distance, he’d catch it. “Well, I thought that. My parents, they were a shitty match, but I still believed it. I just figured they’d gotten off track, maybe missed it somehow.”

“But you don’t believe that anymore?”

“No, not anymore. I’ve seen matches that should have been perfect fail and turn to shit, and I’ve seen two people with no business together who make it work. Nate and I, we never should have worked. He was straight-laced and noble and good, and I’m, well. . . me, but we worked.”

“And Lord Maxson? How does he fit into this world according to Nora?” 

“On paper we make sense. It’s why we did this, because everything lined up. Our genetics, our titles, our history. Then I took one look at him and knew it was all bullshit. There’s no fate, there’s no meant to be. There’s no great love story waiting for us. Some people get what they deserve, and some don’t.” Nora sighed, rubbing her fingers against the inside corner of her eyes. “Or fuck, maybe this is me getting what I deserve.” Nora combed her fingers through her hair then turned to find Arthur only a few feet away, staring at her. His lips tipped down, the studying of her making her as uneasy as it always did.

Fuck him. Who cared if he heard? He already thought her worthless, so what did it matter if he heard her admit it? Still, Nora dragged her gaze away and toward the fire. 

Fuck him.

 

#

 

Arthur pulled the blanket over Tracy as they tucked her into the guest room with Boone and Six. He’d have rather she slept with the Brotherhood soldiers or with Nora and him, but Nora had insisted.

The squire had taken to the couple, fascinated by Six’s stories and drawn to Boone’s quiet nature. Both had seemed smitten with the girl as well. He doubted she’d had so much attention since before she’d joined them.

He still remembered her that first week when she’d come to them. She’d been so young, only six, skin and bones, and covered in dirt after hiding in rubble for two days. She’d spent the first night under Cade’s care, with Arthur checking in on her through the long hours. He still recalled how quiet the compound could be when young, remembered how he’d try to sleep through the clank of power armor passing his room. She’d grown in the years since, gaining confidence, gaining her footing. 

Nora tucked the blanket around her, then said goodnight to Six and Boone. Arthur followed her out, remaining on her heels. 

Arthur stayed steps behind Nora as they crossed the settlement and into the cabin set up for them for the night. It was beautiful, homey, large. It made him wonder for a moment if this was her style? What would her own home look like? He’d set her up with what he expected her to like, but for the first time, he wondered. . . what did she actually like?

Did he care?

Nora toed her shoes off near the door, then reached up to undo her hair from the ponytail. “Tracy’s a good kid. She deserves a family.” 

Arthur hung his coat on a hook by the door. “She does. The Brotherhood didn’t take hers from her, we simply tried to give her what we could.” 

“Kids deserve homes. They deserve fucking Christmas mornings and lazy Sundays and bedrooms made up with stupid robots and shit. Not war and steel.” 

Arthur cast a side-eye toward Nora, but she rifled through the pantry. “You’ll hear no argument from me. However, what people deserve isn’t often what they are given. Tracy had good parents, a good home, and it was destroyed. She either came with us, or she starved on the streets until someone decided to take advantage of her. Many orphans end up in brothels or as slaves. I don’t. . .” Arthur cast his gaze down, the words slipping into the quiet. “I don’t like have squires in danger, Nora. I don’t care for children being at risk. However, the world is hard, and I do what I can to prepare them for it, to keep them safe until they can survive in it.” 

She let out a harsh laugh. “The world is hard. Kids shouldn’t have to deal with that.”

“No, they shouldn’t, but they have to anyway. You have to know that.”

Nora set out two cans of water. “Yeah, I do, which is exactly why I don’t want kids to have to.”

Arthur frowned and changed the topic. “How long have you know these people?”

“Met Six and Boone when I was still new at the General gig. Ran across them trying to set up this place. They both had a lot of skill, a lot of determination, but they didn’t have the same resources I did. I reworked a few patrols and supply lines to hook them into the system, and the rest is history. They did a hell of a job teaching me about defenses, so I figure we helped each other out.”

She had more acquaintances than he’d have expected. Even upon hearing what he had about her, he’d assumed the people she knew would have been indebted to the Minutemen, not to her. However, the more he’d listened to her talk during the fire, the more of her past he heard, the more he’d realized how instrumental she’d been to the shaping of the Commonwealth. 

How had he not known that? How could someone have had such an impact on the territory he had a vested interest in, and he knew nothing about them?

“You seem to know everyone.” 

“When you stop looking at everyone like they’re beneath you, it’s amazing how many people you get to know.” 

“I don’t think people are beneath me,” he argued, voice low.

The snort she released had him cringing as she handed him one of the waters. “Of course you do. You see the world as Brotherhood and then everyone else, and at the top of the Brotherhood, is you. So you literally see yourself as above everyone else.”

He opened his mouth to argue again but had to snap it shut when nothing came forward. As much as he’d like to say she was wrong, as much as the hated that view of him. . . there was some truth to it. Finally, he offered a half-hearted, “You don’t know everything you think you do.” 

“Really? Who was the last person you talked to who wasn’t Brotherhood?”

“You.”

“Doesn’t count, you were trolling for tail. Did you talk to any other person in that bar? Get to know a single person?” His silence answered her. “And even if we’re talking about Brotherhood, I’ve got eyes. Are you friends with any of them?” 

“Friendship would be inappropriate. I’m the Elder, and as such have certain responsibilities. Friendship would complicate that.” 

“Bullshit. I’m general, and I still have friendships.”

His eyebrow kicked up. “I’ve seen what your friendships consist of.” 

“You know, it doesn’t matter how often you use that stick, it doesn’t work with me. You think I’m ashamed of my past, of my life, but I’m not. I don’t give a fuck if you approve or not, if anyone else approves or not.” Nora sat on the couch, her own drink in hand.

Arthur took the seat beside her. “I am not trying to hit you with that stick. The way you live your life was fine before when you had no one to answer to but yourself. Now?”

“Now you expect me to fall in line and be your perfect little housewife?”

“That is why we drew up this arrangement. I can’t understand why you remain in it, why you refuse to dissolve it, yet buck against its constraints.”

“Because I’ve never been what someone else wanted me to be, not ever. I’ve always been exactly who I am, and if the world doesn’t like it, well the world can fuck off. That isn’t changing now, no matter how much you wish it would.” She tipped the can back to gulp down the water, the action causing the shirt to bag and allow him a glimpse of the skin between the buttons. 

He allowed himself to stare, frustrated by how much he wanted her. Even when she behaved as she did, he wanted her. “Have you never thought about how your life might improve if you molded yourself to expectations more? We could have a good life, you know. If you tried a little harder, if you simply behaved more reasonably, you might be surprised at just how easy your life could be.”

She tossed the empty can into the trash, then twisted to slide into his lap. “Easy has never really been my way.” She took his drink and reached over, setting it on the table beside the couch.

Arthur’s fingers went to the buttons of her shirt, slipping each free. “You would enjoy it. I would ensure you were taken care of. You would have an entire Brotherhood to protect you and an easy life. All you’d have to do is let go of these absurd ideas.”

Nora shimmied the shirt from her after he’d opened it, the fabric sliding down her arms and dropping to the floor forgotten.

His hands came forward to cup her breasts as if lured on their own. The warm skin and weight had him groaning, thumbs brushing her nipples. He went for a kiss, but Nora pressed her forehead to his, keeping a breath between them. “I could teach you to behave.” 

“I could teach you to unclench and have a little fun.” She worked loose the button of his pants, pressing against his palms.

“Is that all life is to you? Fun?”

She stilled, her fingers against his lower stomach where the button and zipper of his pants sat open. Her gaze remained down, though her eyebrows drew together. “No. Life isn’t fun, I learned that early. Life likes to fuck us all over every chance it gets. The thing is, I don’t really like to be what anyone else expects me to be.”

“So behaving like a drunken teenager is some sort of rebellion against life?”

“Something like that.” She dragged his shirt up to run her hands over his stomach and chest. “Now, you think you can shut up? Because when you’re silent, you’re not half-bad. When you open your mouth, you just ruin it.”

Arthur pulled back and offered a half-hearted glare to the insult before he grasped her hips and switched places, leaving her seated on the couch and him between her spread thighs. “Finally, we agree on something. Silence between us is probably for the best. Thankfully, we don’t need to talk for what I have planned.”

Her lips tipped up into a smile, and his chest tightened.

No, damn it, he wasn’t about to soften toward her. It didn’t matter how innocent a smirk could make her look, he knew very well what she really was.

He knew what they both really were. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays to any that any of you are celebrating!! I hope you have wonderful days full of happiness and smut. <3

 

Nora’s breath left in a rush when Arthur turned them, when the weight of his body pressed her against the cushions of the couch.

Why the hell did men get to be so strong? Nora could hold her own, had learned to hold her own all her life, but the natural strength men showed always undid her. Funny that for a woman who refused to bow down to any man, a good show of strength never failed to melt her.

Arthur tipped his head to steal the kiss he’d been after, and the hard lines of his body against hers had her letting him. His facial hair tickled against her, but it was his taste that caught her.

Her fingers traced the muscles of his stomach, of his chest. She dragged her thumbs over his flat nipples, then curled her fingers into his sides.

He didn’t give her a moment to think, to breathe. His hands undid her pants and worked them off, quick and efficient, like always. Once he had her stripped, his fingers pressed against her cunt, a deep groan when they slid into her. “You’re so wet.”

She nipped his bottom lip, pulling in punishment. “Trying to make me feel bad?”

“No.” He moved his lips to her jaw, then to her neck. “I’m glad. Last time. . .” He shook his head. The soft unhappiness in his voice almost threw her off.

The movement of his fingers allowed her to forget the moment of something almost sweet.

Nora slipped one hand past the waist of his pants to grasp his cock. The solid weight pressed into her palm, kicking softly at the touch. She indulged in her own exploration, her own fun. While she could hate him, she’d admit physically he was damn near flawless.

His cock was no exception. Hell, even the scar on his face, the one that had left puckered skin over his cheek only added to his allure.

She stroked him, his hips thrusting forward into her hand. His palm pressed against her clit as he fingered her, the touch almost a tease. It felt nice, but it wasn’t what she wanted. The sense of fullness, the way he’d stretch her, the weight of his body, those were what she wanted.

After the day with Boone and Six, the night talking to her friends, she wanted more. She wanted an ending to the night that could match the day, that could make her feel like things would work out. She’d take the lie right then, would wrap it around herself and crawl inside it.

Nora grasped the back of his neck and pulled him forward, her heel reaching around to hook behind his ass. Couldn’t get any clearer than that.

A soft laugh left Arthur’s lips before he pulled his fingers from her and grasped the waist of his pants. He shifted them down, not removing them but getting them clear.

Good enough.

Nora shifted to the side to lie on the couch, to give them room. Arthur’s frame took a hell of a lot of space up, after all.

He moved over her, his hand between them to grasp his cock. The first press of him against her forced a needy moan from her lips.

Damn him for knowing how much she wanted this. She expected some barb from him, some insult about her being a whore. She braced herself for it, for the lash of his words, for her telling herself she didn’t give a fuck.

Instead, his lips found hers in a kiss as he pushed into her. She stretched around him, her body ready and giving. It was nothing like last time, nothing like the painful encounter she’d endured when she’d bitten her lip and just taken it.

His hips rocked forward as he kissed her. Not sweet, not love, but not the fighting masquerading as sex they’d had before, either.

He hooked his hand beneath her thigh and pulled it up, then broke the kiss to do the same with her other. He rose, one knee on the couch, the other planted on the floor. It lifted her ass off the couch and changed the angle, causing him to stroke against the front wall of her cunt.

Sparks of pleasure ran along her spine, her lips parting in a sharp gasp.

His grin pulled the edges of his scar, but again, he didn’t wield it against her. No, for the first time, he seemed pleased. His grip held her with ease, giving her no sense she might fall, no anxiety. She’d barely drank, meaning each stroke of his cock against her spread through her, not dulled by liquor or anger or anything else.

He snapped his hips forward harder, going deeper, each thrust making his cock grind against her g-spot. The roll of her hips didn’t detour time, didn’t make him quicken his pace. Instead, he moved with the same assuredness she’d grown used to, one that said he knew what they both wanted, what they both needed, and for the first time had no plan to deny them.

Nora reached her hand between them, sliding it down her stomach, needing some break from the mounting pressure in her.

Arthur released one leg to capture her wrist. Would he insult her? Would he laugh at her? She was ready to hiss when he brought the fingers to his lips and slipped them inside. His tongue swirled around them, wetting them before releasing them.

Nora stilled for a moment, the action almost sweet. She shook away the feeling and returned to her work. She supposed anyone could be sweet when balls deep-

A harder thrust derailed her thoughts, made her decide she could analyze all the bullshit later. Instead, she moved her fingers to her clit and chased her own pleasure. He filled her perfectly, and to hell with anything she should feel, the sight of his body was one she wouldn’t close her eyes against.

His broad shoulders, his hard chest, the way his muscles moved beneath the tanned skin? Each thrust had his abs shifting, tightening and releasing, and she wanted to push him back to trace each with her tongue.

Why the hell not? Not right then, no, she was too close. But, just because she hated him didn’t mean she couldn’t use him. Use him to sate her own lusts, to pass the time, to make things not quite so horrible.

His fingers moved to her ass, gripping her cheeks in a hard grasp. She would wear marks, but they weren’t out of anger. Instead, it was some wave of want neither could resist.

His eyes opened, locking on her, and she froze.

What was she doing?

Her hand moved, trembling, close but refusing to give in. No. How could she have been so close to giving in? To something she’d never allowed herself in the years since. . .

His lips tipped down- not anger, but disappointment? Instead of saying anything, he released her ass and leaned over her again, his weight settling on her as his thrusts lost their rhythm.

Each thrust ground against her clit, but she clenched her teeth and refused. She was stronger than that, stronger than the stupid demands of her body. He found his release only a few quick thrusts later, cock jerking as he emptied into her, even that setting off sparks behind her eyes that forced her to shiver.

When he pulled out, he shifted to sit on the couch near her feet, pants pulled up but unfastened, his elbows on his knees, his gaze on the far wall.

“Why don’t you want to come?” His voice was soft as if tempting some feral beast.

Nora’s legs pulled closed, shifting to grab her underwear from the floor to wipe off. “Does it matter?”

“It shouldn’t. You don’t need to have orgasms to conceive.”

“So why ask?”

He sighed before pushing to his feet. He walked toward the bedroom, not looking her way. “Because, as much as it shouldn’t, as unwise as it may be, I find things I shouldn't care about are starting to matter when it comes to you.”

Nora watched him go, watched him disappear into the darkness of the bedroom.

Unwise seemed a hell of an understatement.


End file.
